"It's good to get them all back, and it's just Scott we're waiting for now," said the Dons boss.

"It has been a while. I had injuries when I arrived and suspensions, I lost players. We lost Joe Walsh, Darren Potter, Ed Upson, and then we lost Lewington and Reeves to injury, but that's the reason you have a squad - it's to cover.

"It gives me the chance now to have options on the bench, and turn around totally make a difference rather than just going player for player.

"The rest are all good, but we've got a few suspensions hanging over us - there are a few on nine bookings so we're desperate to get to that March cut-off point. It's a really important period, with some tough games coming up so it's important to keep all of our key players."

Bradford are very much a bogey side for MK Dons. Having lost the last four league matches against City, Dons have to look back as far as the League 2 winning season in 2007/08 for their last, actually securing the title at Valley Parade with a 2-1 win.

Two goals inside the opening 20 minutes ensured the Bantams all three points at Stadium MK earlier this season as they picked up a 2-1 win.

But with the condition of the Valley Parade pitch, Neilson isn't expecting a great game of football, but it looking forward to locking horns with his fellow countryman again.

Neilson added: "I know Stuart well, I've coached against him when he was at Rangers and I was up the road. He has come down here and done a great job and they're hoping to get promoted.

"They get after the ball, pick up second balls and have good quality all over the pitch. The surface up there isn't great for football so we know it'll be a battle, scrapping and getting a foothold in the game."